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I experienced something tonight. I was flying from Dease Lake (CYDL), Canada to Fort Ware (CAJ9). Ceiling was around 7,000 so I decided on a scenic flight under the clouds and fly the canyons. Temps were around 0C at 6,000 with a sprinkle or two early on.

About half way to Fort Ware the rain picked up in frequency and then into a steady rain. By the time I was within 5 miles of CAJ9 my airspeed was under 100 mph and she was making some serious rumbling noises. I was 24/24 and still barely making 100 mph. It's still raining and very dark now with street lights at Fort Ware but none at the airport I dropped the gear hoping for the best... PHEW... green light. Turn final for 09 at 90 mph and drop one stage flaps. That was it for my Comanche. I lost a control arm on the right flap.

I was iced up severely and had a broken flap. I took a dirt nap about a mile from the runway. Very distraught with myself I replaced some parts and put her to bed for the night.

Hind-sight I suppose I should have climbed above the clouds as soon as there was indication of wing icing but alas I thought I could make it. I was only 40-some miles out when it was evident that things were going south for me. 40 NM isn't far but as my speed decreased my time in flight increased.

This brakes my nearly 2500 hour 'no crash' streak I will probably not sleep tonight

Prepar3d V4.2 is the simulator.

Roger

Sorry to hear of your incident but very happy to hear the immersion the software is enabling you to experience. May your new or rebuilt Comanche give you as many hours and more as your old stead.

thanks,
Lewis

Does Prepar3D simulate icing conditions (I mean wings ice overload, not carburator intake icing) ?

Yes P3D and FSX have a basic airframe ice simulation as part of the platform.

thanks,
Lewis

I can't speak for the quality of the airframe icing simulation and how it will respond to various changes.

If you're able to climb, that may not be bad. But temps will get lower and if you climbing through clouds to try and get on top that is probably only going make the problem worse. Descending into warmer air may help.

Keeping the airspeed up and not using flaps is important. It is interesting to see the simulation handle that extending flaps can be fatal with airframe icing due to loss of control caused by turbulent airflow around the ice covered surfaces contributing to a stall.

You want to keep the airspeed up and fly the airplane right down to the runway.

Airframe icing is a serious emergency, and should be dealt with immediately when detected. I've heard of scary rates of accumulation of rime ice that vanished almost as quickly as it appeared when the aircraft descended to warmer air. The pilot mentioned that they had anywhere from 1/8 to 1/4 inch build up in about a minute upon experiencing a rapid temp change around a fast moving warm/cold front boundary.

guillaume78150 wrote:Does Prepar3D simulate icing conditions (I mean wings ice overload, not carburator intake icing) ?

I have over 1,000 hours in the B-17, 600 hours in the P-51 Civ, 900 hours in the Constellation, 200 hours +/- in the P-40 as well as hours in various other aircraft. Most of these have been in FSX boxed or Steam. I've experienced many incidents of carb icing in most of these aircraft and one incident of wing icing in the Connie. This flight put me to 89 hours in the Comanche and I have really been enjoying my flights.

The wing icing has only happened in P3D v4 with Active Sky ASP4 taking care of the weather.

Oracle427 wrote:I can't speak for the quality of the airframe icing simulation and how it will respond to various changes.

If you're able to climb, that may not be bad. But temps will get lower and if you climbing through clouds to try and get on top that is probably only going make the problem worse. Descending into warmer air may help.

Keeping the airspeed up and not using flaps is important. It is interesting to see the simulation handle that extending flaps can be fatal with airframe icing due to loss of control caused by turbulent airflow around the ice covered surfaces contributing to a stall.

You want to keep the airspeed up and fly the airplane right down to the runway.

Airframe icing is a serious emergency, and should be dealt with immediately when detected. I've heard of scary rates of accumulation of rime ice that vanished almost as quickly as it appeared when the aircraft descended to warmer air. The pilot mentioned that they had anywhere from 1/8 to 1/4 inch build up in about a minute upon experiencing a rapid temp change around a fast moving warm/cold front boundary.

Descending would have been my first choice if it were possible. The area of my flight is very very remote. There are no airports, towns or even roads. My only options, I believe, would have been to turn back but with the chance of continued rain or climb above the clouds to get out of the rain and hope the icing would cease to build and then rethink my destination.

I had grave concerns about dropping gear and flaps. I almost did not drop my flaps at all for fear of this happening. Fort Ware has plenty of runway (4700 feet) to land without flaps and I should have just left them up.

It was quite exciting and a good learning experience for me. I will take immediate action the next time I have indications of airframe icing

I experienced numerous carburator icing conditions, even when taxiing, never an airframe one. I thought it was not included in the FSX modeling.

Understood about not being able to descend in the terrain you were in!

I've very really encountered it in FSX and was usually able to get out quickly either by descending or making a 180. I believe one of the missions included in FSX Acceleration will give you airframe icing. I think it's the one where you deliver apples to a mountain lodge in winter.

The problem I have is that it sometimes forms in severe clear VMC which doesn't make any sense.

No, I wasn't flying at altitudes it temps where there may be supercooled droplets.

I had airframe icing on my Comanche on a flight but I was lucky and could go lower and divert to a close airport.

I just bought the Comanche yesterday and haven't had a chance to fly it yet, really excited about it!

But this thread explains what happened to me the other day in the C195. I couldn't figure it out at the time. I was flying south along the Rockies from High River to Crowsnest at about 7000 feet when the whole plane started to shake and lose speed. I double checked the carb heat was on and everything else seemed alright so I just tried to slowly turn back east and lose some altitude as I was only about 1000 feet above the rocks. Then that was it I just dropped out of the sky. Wing ice would explain it! It didn't occur to me till now.